was in the year immediately preceding the establishment
of Singapore. In 1824, the joint exports
of Penang and Singapore amounted to
9,414,464 Spanish dollars, of which those of Singapore
amounted to 6,604,601 Spanish dollars. In
other words, this branch of the British trade had
been considerably more than quadrupled in the
short period of little more than six years.
The Port Regulations established for Singapore
were upon as liberal and convenient a footing as
it was possible to frame them. When I took civil
charge of the settlement in 1823, certain anchorage
fees were charged on vessels of all descriptions,
and the wooding, watering, and ballasting
of ships was a virtual monopoly for the advantage
of the public officers : under the sanction of
the Supreme Government, this practice was abolished.
The wooding, watering, and ballasting of
ships was thrown open to general competition,
and no fee or charge of any sort whatsoever was
levied either on account of the Government or its
officers. The commanders of the European vessels
were directed to render to the Master-attendant,
upon honour, a written statement of their exports
and imports, before receiving their port
clearances ; and the masters of native vessels gave
in verbal statements on similar conditions. In
this manner, a record of the trade of the port,
probably not less accurate than most custom-house
returns,—for there were few motives for concealment,—
was obtained. The only attempts at regulating
prices, referred to the hire of cargo-boats,
and the charges for wooding, watering, and ballasting.
The object of this was protection to
strangers from imposition; and, having this end
alone in view, it applied to no ship whose stay
exceeded forty-eight hours. Complaints were at
first made that the maximus were fixed at too low
a rate, but in a very short time I had the satisfaction
to see that competition had greatly reduced
them.
Ships lie in the Roads of Singapore, at the distance
of from a mile to two miles from the town,
according to their draught of water. With the assistance
of a. great number of convenient fighters,
which are always in readiness, cargoes may be
taken in and discharged, with scarcely any interruption,
throughout the year. The river, or creek,
upon which the commercial portion of the town
lies, is accessible to these fighters at all times, and
goods are taken in and discharged at a convenient
quay, constructed during my stay at the place,
and at the very doors of the principal warehouses.
Whether from its natural situation, the absence
of meddling and embarrassing regulations, or troublesome
usages, there is no port of trade where
commerce had been subjected to less inconvenience.
Frequent holidays, which are such se